The EU's new Entry & Exit System (EES) comes into effect from October 12th, although a phased introduction means that it won't apply to all travellers straight away.
The new system covers non-EU citizens who are crossing an external EU border - since Brexit, this includes the UK-France border.
You can read a full explanation of how the system works here, but non-EU citizens who are crossing the border for the first time after the introduction of the system must supply biometric details (fingerprints and/or facial scan) and fill in a questionnaire.
Over in the UK, travel operators including the Eurostar have been unveiling the exact format of the questionnaire to journalists, and one question has provoked great anxiety - an apparent requirement for travellers entering France to have medical insurance.
Thanks to the NHS, most Brits do not have private medical insurance, and policies can be prohibitively expensive, especially for older people or those with existing medical conditions.
So does this rule change really bar people without medical insurance from France?
Well, not exactly.
Rule changes
Technically EES does not change any of the border rules, it just changes how they are enforced.
It's always been the case that border guards can ask visitors from non-EU countries to provide things in addition to a basic passport, plus a visa if required.
This includes proof of financial means, proof of accommodation or return tickets and proof of medical cover.
In practice, these things are rarely asked of British visitors, but border guards can ask, and can block entry for travellers who do not have them.
Find full details of what will be asked for here.
EES
What EES does is formalise the process, so it relies less on individual border guards asking questions of travellers as they pass - hence the new questionnaire.
The questionnaire is only filled in the first time you cross a border after the introduction of EES, on subsequent trips, you pass through border control without having to fill it out again.
The questionnaire is a self-certification process - you simply tick 'yes' or 'no' on the online form to the questions about accommodation, finances and insurance.
It seems likely that further questions will only be asked of those who tick 'no', although border guards do still have the right to ask for proof, just as they do now.
OK, so what about medical insurance?
Here's the exact wording of the requirement, taken from the French government page;
- Vous devez être muni d’une attestation d’assurance couvrant l’ensemble des dépenses médicales, hospitalières et de décès, susceptibles d’être engagées pendant toute la durée du séjour en France, y compris les frais de rapatriement pour raison médical
That translates as: "you must be able to provide proof of insurance covering all medical, hospital and death expenses that may be incurred during your stay in France, including repatriation costs for medical reasons".
There does not appear to be any need for separate medical insurance - travel insurance that includes health expenses (as almost all policies do) would appear to be sufficient.
When contacted by UK media, staff at Eurostar said that the wording on the questionnaire would be changed from 'medical insurance' to 'travel insurance'.
It is already recommended for people to have travel insurance for a trip to France, and policies for a short trip start at around €35 per person, although they are likely to be higher for families, older people or those with pre-existing medical conditions.
Some entry requirements - such as the requirement to have a return ticket - can be got around by showing proof of financial means. However, there is no financial alternative to insurance.
What about EHIC/GHIC?
Brits who are registered within the NHS are entitled to a European health insurance card, which can be used to cover medical costs incurred while travelling.
This was previously called EHIC (European health insurance card) but after Brexit was renamed as GHIC (global health insurance card) - but both work in the same way; you show the card when accessing treatment in Europe and your treatment will be charged at the same rate locals pay - in France this generally means paying upfront for treatment and then being reimbursed later via the EHIC/GHIC.
However, EHIC/GHIC only covers emergency or unplanned medical treatment - you can use it if you fall ill or have an accident while travelling, but it cannot be used to access non-emergency or routine medical treatment. For example, it wouldn't cover the cost of getting a vaccination in France.
It does not cover the cost of being repatriated to the UK for medical reasons.
It's the lack of repatriation cover that has led many to assume that the EHIC/GHIC cannot be used as proof of medical cover at the border.
However, that provision has always been included in border rules, and the card has been accepted previously.
The Local has asked the French government to clarify this point.
Exceptions
The insurance question does not apply to everyone; there are some exceptions.
- Citizens of an EU or Schengen zone country, who have with them a valid passport for that country
- Non-EU citizens who are resident in France with either a Carte de séjour residency permit
- Non-EU citizens under the age of 18 who have a Document de circulation pour étranger mineur (DCEM)
- Non-EU citizens who have a residency visa (that is, a visa which includes the line carte de séjour à solliciter à l'arrivée en France - this includes all visa types for people who are moving to France to live, but does not include the short-stay visitor visa of less than 6 months, or the Schengen visa)
- Non-EU citizens who are married to a French person (upon production of a marriage certificate)
- Diplomats; members of parliament; consular staff; public officials travelling on government business; staff of international organisations of which France is a member (eg NATO) who are travelling on official business; crew of airlines or ships who are travelling for work. Documentation is required to prove this status
Comments (3)